EDUCATION BOARD'S FINANCES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 107, 8 May 1902, Page 2

EDUCATION BOARD'S FINANCES.

MINISTER PKOMHEB AID. At the fip«ciaj moating of thf> Board on Wed'if-.sd .y th • chairman's report of his intervi«w with the Minister for Educatiiri wng read Th» C ai man staled that the first item din iwseoi >vas that of €145 6a 7d r ths amo'iut ot' deficiency at the beginning of th" year, ;>o i 1m pointed out to the Miniate- that at th# end of the yo..r the deficit would be over £SOO, but tha* if the Board »« allowed the 12-4 cipita it would produce u additional £l3l 18s 6d. The main poimfc difcusssd was 'bat cf the building grant. With regard to this the chairman said h-> had pointed eat to the H'nisW the amount which it waa absolu ely necessary for the Board to h.tve to as to enable it to carry oa. Tne Minister admitted the needaof the district, but stated it was now receiving more than its share as compared with oti.or districts, and he could only promise to make a note of the Hoard's requirements with a view to bringiag 'he mutir before the Houae next session. In reply to Mr Wade, the Ohairautn s a ted that the items mentioned to th# Minister included £IBO for Norfolkroad, £4OO Inglewosd, £IBO Wortleyroa ), £250 painting, £330 West Infants (to be increased if the school waa made a full sandard one), £SO Oourte-nay-street (this was least that it required), £55 Salisbury-road, £B3O Toko, £IBO for desking, and £BO other »xp n<wu. Altogether £2035 was urgency needed. In reply to Mr Kennedy, the Chair* man stated that the Minister promised to tquare up the Board's deficit at the end of the year. Mr Allsworth: Do we understand that the Minister promised to pay off the £SOO deficit. T he Chairman: Yes. Mr Allsworth said that the Finance Committee recommended cutting down expenditure, and he inquired if the Minister endorsed that policy, or wu he in favour of the Board continuing its present system. The Chairman said he took it that the Bourd was to continue on its present system. Mr Wade urged that the Minister** promise should, if p issible, be obtained in writing, t,g he would not like to go on wi<h the full expenditure if there was any risk of the premise not being carried out. The Chairman: Then it will be necessary to s nd Mr W».d« to Wellington to get the written promise. Mr Wude «>'d the question wae whether tin Board should rui the risk of going on its pro-sent systom of expenditure or curtail it, the »im of thd Board beiug to keep expenditure within the bounds of its income.

I The Chairman explained that if tht Boird was th'itt of funds fir prtaent requirements it; could forestall U'xt j y«i.r*rt income «ul thus prevent tb# ! work from gou,g t'aek. | Mr Allawortb: Postponing attention to urgent requirement* meant additional expe dituro, aa wkafc would cost £5 now, \\">uld grow 'into £7 10s next year. Tbera ; was another trouble, to meet whioh tha Miniver should adopt a sliding scale. The Board's expenditure w.ss narily larger in proportion th*n in such plac&g a» Auckl <nd or Wellington, as the expense of administering a small district was proportionally greater than that for large centrrs. He considered 'he capitation should bi bised oi a scile similar to that adopted by the Board in respect of the grant! to eom 4 f , mittens for ordinary expenses, under which the smaller schools received a higher rate than the larger At tbff Teicht rs Uonfe enoe, a feeling was expressed that nhe new xchezne should have twelve months trial, and that seeuvd the course which >va* bning pursued, the Minister evidently being riirtpos-d to help the Board <mt of any fimmcigl difficulty at the end of the year. He thought tbe Minister could be trus>ed to assist tibe Bo >d to tht ext<*<i t, of his power, eten if i entailed nsking Parliament for an ez'ra grant. He niovod tha* th<« report b i r ceived, and the chairman thanked fir hi« Mrvice', ti'.M further considers ion » f tbe report to I e aaj turned. Carried. On resuming after luncheon, the Board Jeti.ie i ' o r-U on th<> Minister's promise, iit.d proc-eded to alocite the b-.lauc > of th« bui'ding gran , amounting to about X 620, thus for additions at Ingle wood atvi Not folkroad, as well as the ramo al of the W<Ktley-ioad school to a site eeir the Linco'u ruad.